Gloria's Inn

by Robin Alexander

  Bored with trashing the black sheep of the group, they turned their attention to me. “So, are you and Adrienne an item yet?” Lacey asked with a shrewd smile as a frisky Roslyn nibbled on her ear lobe.

  I tried not to blush as I answered. “I’ve only been here a week, we hardly know one another yet. I said as I nervously wiped the bar.

  Roslyn was quick to pipe up, and I suspected that they intended to play matchmakers. “She was keeping a close eye on you at lunch today. I am not completely convinced that you two aren’t hiding something. You had better keep her close, Denise has already made some choice comments about the lovely Miss Adrienne.”

  I barely kept a low guttural growl from escaping my throat. I was spared at from having to respond by Adrienne’s perfectly timed arrival. “I see you girls are being well taken care of.” She said cheerfully as she walked into the bar.

  Roslyn gave me a wink as she commented. “Hayden has been doing a wonderful job as bartender. Fortunately, for us all we are only drinking rum and coke.” I couldn’t let that jab pass so I popped her with the towel.

  “Sit down and talk with us Adrienne.” Leigh said as she pulled out a barstool.

  Roslyn had a devilish grin on her face as she turned her attention to Adrienne. “So tell us about you and Hayden. Don’t lie and say there is nothing going on between you two. We watched you both at lunch and neither of you seemed able to keep your eyes off of one another.”

  That did it. I grabbed a glass and filled it nearly to the top with bourbon and added a dash of Coke. I watched as Adrienne’s face turned red and she nervously tucked her hair behind her ears.

  “I was just keeping an eye on Hayden that’s all. The Inn business is a little new to her and she is just getting her feet wet dealing with the guests. Right Hayden?” She looked at me for confirmation, but before I could speak Leigh joined in on the attack.

  “Adrienne darling your eyes were on her ass until she sat down.” Leigh said with a wicked grin. I laughed right along with them, even though my heart was nearly beating out of my chest.

  When Adrienne regained the ability of speech she narrowed her eyes at Leigh. “I was most certainly not starring at her ass Leigh!” She tried to maintain her serious expression, but finally a sheepish grin made its way across her features.

  “You are both terrible liars. You can cut the sexual tension between you two with a knife. If you haven’t taken a roll in the hay, you’re not far from it. Now tell us the truth.” Roslyn looked at me for an explanation.

  I stood there with my jaw clicking for a moment and took a big swallow of my drink. I grabbed a cigarette and peered up at them for a second wincing when I realized they were all waiting for me to speak including Adrienne.

  “Um

  I

  uh

  . We really haven’t discussed anything like that.” I stammered as I plotted a way to run out of there with what was left of my dignity.

  “Don’t you think its time you two start discussing things? Gloria used to tell me all the time that you both would hit it off really well. You’ve been here a week alone together, and I refuse to believe that you two have been totally innocent.” Leigh said.

  “We have been innocent. We’ve been too busy getting ready for your arrival to do anything else.” Adrienne’s neck had begun to flush at this point. I didn’t know if she was embarrassed or getting pissed off.

  “Well then allow us to help you both out.” Roslyn said as she waved off Adrienne’s attempts to shut her up. “Hayden do you find her attractive?”

  “Um well of course I do. I mean who wouldn’t? Just look at her.” I couldn’t even look at Adrienne. I actually debated setting the wicker siding on fire just to have an excuse to escape.

  “Alright, now Adrienne.” Roslyn grinned as Adrienne nervously began to play with her hair again. “I think it’s pretty obvious you find Hayden attractive. I imagine there are some very impure thoughts of her going on in that pretty little head of yours.”

  Adrienne jumped up from the bar stool she was sitting on nearly knocking it over in the process. “We will have to finish this conversation later. I have to go tend to some things.” She turned and walked out of the bar ignoring the taunts from Roslyn and Leigh.

  “I think we may have pushed blue eyes a little too far with that one.” Leigh said with a laugh. She turned and gave me a look that said I was not out of the woods yet.

  “Hayden she likes you. You need to let her know you’re interested. On the ride in from the airstrip Denise explained in great detail what she wanted to do to her if she got her alone for a second. None of want to see that happen, not that Adrienne would be interested anyway, but you still need to talk to her.”

  “Leigh I don’t want to mess things up with her by moving too fast, besides you say she is interested but I don’t know that for sure.”

  “We have been coming here for years. There have been some single women that have accompanied us, but Adrienne never looked at them the way she does you. She is very interested so stop beating around the bush and get busy.” Roslyn said as Leigh nodded her head vigorously.

  I had not realized how much time had already passed while I had been bartending. Adrienne informed us that dinner would be served in thirty minutes. We all went our separate ways to get cleaned up. I decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a quick shower and change my clothes. I made it back to the dinning room a little late to find it nearly full. Adrienne had kindly saved me a seat, although I felt my hackles rise seeing Denise perched on the other side of her.

  Dinner was much like lunch. The crowd was so boisterous that it was hard to follow any one conversation. This was especially irritating because I had to strain my ears to hear what Denise was saying to Adrienne, who politely listened to the buzzard drone on about her career as a nurse. I hoped that Adrienne was as unimpressed as I was.

  I had butterflies in my stomach as I mentally recounted the earlier conversation. We were all sitting pretty close and occasionally her leg would brush against mine. I noticed that she had scooted her chair a little closer to mine, but I told myself that she just didn’t want to be that close to Denise.

  When dinner was through, we all went into the bar where Sarah had already set up to tend bar. For the first time since I had been there music played on the sound system that I didn’t know we had. The group decided that calypso music was not appropriate for what they had in mind and someone produced a CD with dance music. Before long our cozy little bar had been transformed into a disco.

  Not being one to dance I volunteered to assist Sarah tending bar. I stuck with the easy drinks, and left the more complex requests up to her. I kept an eye on the Ho as she continued to try and impress Adrienne. I growled in disgust watching the way she smiled at her.

  “I think Adrienne has an admirer.” Sarah said as she caught me starring at them.

  “It sure looks that way doesn’t it?” I tried to hide to resentment in my voice.

  “I wouldn’t worry about that woman. She is not the one for Adrienne.” Sarah said with a wink as she filled another drink order.

  As the music played more couples went out onto the makeshift dance floor. Shelby had managed to coax Adrienne out onto the floor, and sandwiched her between herself and Myra. I couldn’t help but stare as they danced seductively. I also noticed that Denise watched with interest as well. I could see the lust in her eyes, and wondered if my own revealed the same.

  I tried not to make it obvious that I was watching her, but I found it hard not to look at her body pressed so tightly up against Myra’s backside. Adrienne’s hands rested on Myra’s hips. Shelby was behind Adrienne and was pressed against her just as snug. They moved in time with the music and I found it impossible to tear my eyes from them. Adrienne turned and her eyes met mine. I was powerless to look away, we both held one another’s gaze as they continued to move sensuously to the music.

  The effect it had on me made my skin flush, and I could feel the little beads of
sweat break out on my upper lip. She was already sweaty from dancing and her bangs hung in wet tendrils across her forehead. Seeing her like that conjured up all sorts of sexual images in my mind, and my eyes stayed locked with hers until I was interrupted by someone at the bar.

  Donna a cute blonde with pretty blue eyes that I remembered as being Chelsey’s girlfriend took a break from the floor and rested at the bar. She was a paramedic, so I committed her to memory by picturing her wearing only a uniform shit and stethoscope. The mental image alluring as it was still did little to keep my thoughts from the raven-haired beauty on the dance floor. “So Hayden will you be participating in the first night tradition with us?”

  Adrienne had made no mention of any kind of tradition, so I was a little confused as to what she was talking about. “I don’t know. I guess it depends on the tradition.” I responded hoping she would fill me in. My eyes drifted back to the floor, as the music changed to a more upbeat song.

  My heart nearly stopped when the little blonde laughed and said. “At midnight we all go down to the beach and skinny dip. I can’t believe Adrienne didn’t tell you.”

  The thought of seeing Adrienne naked and bathed in moonlight was very appealing. “I don’t do naked.” I laughed. “You could not get me drunk enough to get me naked in front of all of you.” Still it was tempting.

  Then Donna did the unthinkable. She reached over and cut the music off causing everyone to turn and look. The cute blonde said rather loudly. “Hayden is too shy to go skinny dipping with us. I suggest we get her drunk, and make her join the crowd.”

  The group as a whole rushed the bar and pulled me out from behind it. Someone turned the music back on, and before I knew it I had a drink in my hand. Each couple adopted me as their pet for a while and made sure I had plenty to drink. By midnight I was as drunk as a skunk!

  I had put another cigarette in between my lips, but before I could light it someone reached over and plucked it out of my mouth. I turned to see who the thief was and met a pair of striking blue eyes. “I know you don’t like to dance, but this is a slow song.” Adrienne said as she took my hand and pulled me close to her.

  “Even you can slow dance Hayden.” She said as she pulled my hands up to rest behind her neck. I could feel her breath on my face, and caught a hint of alcohol. Her tight grip around my waist and the way her body moved against mine told me that she was every bit as lit as I was. I couldn’t imagine Adrienne being this forward sober.

  There was very little breeze that night and the least bit of exercise caused us all to sweat. Although I doubted the temperature had very much to do with the way my body heated up being next to her. I rested my hands behind her shoulders, and I could feel the dampness of her shirt against my hands. Being a little shorter than she my forehead rested against her cheek. The thought of being like this with her horizontally made me unconsciously clutch her shirt.

  She pulled back a little and looked me in the eyes questioningly. I couldn’t say a word but simply stared back into those blue pools. Another couple brushed against us, causing me to shift a little to the side, her leg moved in between mine and she continued to press her body snugly into me. The sensation of her leg brushing in between my own caused me to groan involuntarily.

  My gaze slowly descended from her eyes to her lips that were parted slightly, and looked so inviting. She slid her hand further up my back and pressed me closer into her until our lips were only inches apart. When the desire to taste her lips for the first time over came me I leaned in slowly until I felt the lightest brush of softness. Suddenly, I felt a hand grab the back of my shirt and I was torn from her arms.

  In my drunken stupor I realized I was being led toward the beach by a rowdy bunch of drunken lesbians. Not far ahead of me I could see Adrienne being drug along by Shelby and a few others. I was in trouble big time. I was about to be made to get naked in front of a group of total strangers. Not to mention the fact that Adrienne would be there as well.

  My protests fell on deaf ears as they half drug me through the sand, chanting some rap song that had played in the bar. I felt like I was being led to some pagan sacrifice to a Conch shell god.

  Clothes began to fly as they all began to strip. There was no escape for me as a small herd of them gathered around me and started pulling at my clothes. I looked around for Adrienne and was happy to see she was at least suffering the same fate. Once they had stripped me of my clothes I shot off like a rocket to the water to hide my white butt that lit up the beach like a Q beam. A dozen leaping lesbians jumped and played in the water. I had been dunked twice already and felt up once, before I got the bright idea to swim out a little.

  The coolness of the water had sobered me up considerably and I was standing on my toes trying to stay far enough back from the wild games, when a familiar voice whispered in my ear. “Protect me from Denise, she is wanting to get to know me better.” I turned to see Adrienne trying to hide her lanky body behind mine.

  “Are they always like this” I asked in surprise.

  Adrienne laughed. “Yes, every year it’s the same thing, and I am sure you know now they don’t take no for an answer.”

  “Does that include Denise?” I said coyly

  “Especially Denise. That’s precisely why I am hiding behind you.”

  What the hell I was drunk and I had to ask. “Is that the only reason you came over to me?” I asked, regretting it as it came out of my mouth.

  “No its

  ” All I heard was gurgling. Rory and Allison had double teamed Adrienne and dunked her under the water. As I realized what happened my feet were pulled out from under me and down I went. When I broke the surface Rory and Allison were cackling with laughter as they sought out their next victims.

  I had lost my foothold and was struggling to tread water when a pair of arms wrapped themselves around my waist. “Sucks to be short don’t it.” Adrienne said as she kept my head above the water. I could not come back with a wise crack, as I was overwhelmed at how good it felt to have her naked body pressed against mine.

  When I didn’t readily respond, she said. “I don’t think there is any hope of us escaping with our dignity tonight, hopefully we will fare better tomorrow night.”

  “Tomorrow night?” I asked.

  “This is a ritual for them. They get drunk and then they come to the beach and skinny dip. No sense in hiding, they will hunt you down and drag you out here every night.”

  All the blood in my body was rushing south, and it was becoming more difficult to form a coherent sentence. Adrienne made no move to release me, and her warm breath on my neck was causing all sorts of reactions. When I finally did relax and gave in to the sensation of her so close against me, the crowd had begun to tire and leave the water.

  She made no attempt to move as the last of the gang left the water. I wondered if she was holding me there because she enjoying it as much as I was or if she was simply hiding from Denise. My heart sank as I felt her unwrap her arms.

  “I think its safe for us to make a break for it now.” As she let me go so I could swim to shallow waters. “You get out first” I said as I hung back protecting my modesty.

  “Okay but don’t look.” She said as she waded onto the beach and collected her clothes. Oh the temptation to peek was nearly unbearable, but I managed to obey. After she dressed she told me I could turn around, then she did the same as I walked on shore and pulled my sandy clothes onto my wet body. No need to bother trying to exfoliate my skin now.

  We climbed the bluff in silence, and when we reached the top she finally spoke. “Hayden?” Which interrupted my reminiscing of the evenings events.” “Were your panties missing too?”

  I laughed out loud. “Yep and my bra. Is this another one of their rituals?

  She laughed nervously. “No. My under garments have never come up missing before. I am afraid that we will find them displayed somewhere around the Inn tomorrow, or worse someone took them for a keepsake.”

  We arrived at her
cottage first, and I found myself getting nervous all over again. How would I end this evening? “Um, Adrienne I wanted to thank you for rescuing me earlier tonight.”

  She smiled and looked me in the eyes. “It was all my pleasure Hayden. I need to thank you as well for hiding me from Denise.” She responded sweetly. It was at that very moment we heard it. The unmistakable cries of passion being carried to us on the wind from one or more of the guest cottages.

  “Is that what I think it is?” I asked as my face colored.

  “Yes.” She said as her face turned red as well, and her eyes could no longer meet mine. We stood there in an awkward silence for a moment and then began to giggle like teenagers.

  “Hayden you know what is really bad about this?” She snorted. “Since we have no air conditioning we will be able to hear this most of the night.” She choked out between fits of laughter.

  We both began to laugh in earnest, but the moans and groans went on unhindered. Either they didn’t hear us or they just didn’t care. When we regained our composure the feeling of awkwardness settled over us again.

  “Well goodnight Adrienne.” I said with regret, and started toward my cottage. “Goodnight Hayden, and thank you for a wonderful evening.” She called after me as I walked away. I can only describe my thoughts as a giant cluster fornification. My sensibilities waged war with my libido. I was so tempted to turn and run back to her, but my mind fought against it. Finally, fear popped up and made me wonder if she would reject me. It was obvious that she had sobered up quite a bit as well. That was enough to send me straight to my cottage where I spent a while in a cold shower.

  I climbed into bed and was quickly joined by Saber, not my choice of bedmate but I welcomed the company. I lay there for a long time trying to purge my mind of the thoughts that had plagued me all day. The most unsettling was the thought of Adrienne meeting someone and leaving the island. The most arousing was the memory of her body pressed against mine earlier that evening. This coupled with the howler monkeys having sex two cottages over made for a very sleepless night.